2013 Rolls Royce Phantom. Midnight Blue With Seashell. on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Rolls-Royce celebrates brand's 120th with Ghost Prism

The Ghost might be Rolls-Royce’s smaller, “entry-level” car, but those words donÂ’t mean much when referring to the storied British automaker. With an almost $350,000 starting price, the Ghost is nearly as exclusive as its larger counterparts, but the recently announced Prism model will be even harder to get. Rolls said it would produce just 120 units of the car to celebrate its 120th anniversary in 2024, though itÂ’s unclear how many are already sold. As these things typically go, high-value clients and famous people tend to get the first crack at exclusive models, as theyÂ’re meant to be rolling advertisements for the brand. Last year was the brandÂ’s best ever, as it moved more than 6,000 vehicles in 2023, with America and record growth in the Middle East leading the charge. The automakerÂ’s demo car came in Gunmetal gray, which it said took 16 hours of hand polishing and a ten-step process that involves four layers of paint application. A high-gloss black-gray color is applied to the grille and trunk lid, which involves polishing the paints to such a high-gloss finish that they appear metallic. The dark colors highlighted with bolder hues are meant to convey the appearance of a prism, hence the carÂ’s name. Buyers can choose between four accent colors: Forge Yellow, Mandarin, Phoenix Red, and Mandarin. The color is applied to the brake calipers, lower bumper inserts and coachline, which Rolls said is a styling element that ties together the “mechanical, aerodynamic, and sculptural elements of Ghost.” Inside, the car gets Rolls-RoyceÂ’s famous Starlight Headliner with 1,040 individual LED “stars” across the interior roof. While these exclusive features are selling points for the Ghose Prism, Rolls said buyers still get access to its entire catalog of colors, materials, and options. Most people extend the automakerÂ’s already extreme purchase prices by several thousand dollars, pushing the average purchase price far above what we see on paper. Related Video

Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II unveiled with subtle design updates

Rolls-Royce set another sales record in 2023, and it's giving the Cullinan — its best-selling model — a round of mid-cycle updates to keep the momentum going. The Series II model stands out from the outgoing Cullinan with design changes and more technology inside. The exterior updates are relatively subtle, and Rolls-Royce notes that's intentional; the Cullinan has been so popular since its debut in 2018 that it didn't want to risk alienating buyers by giving the SUV a major overhaul. It nonetheless points out that the changes represent "the most extensive Series II development" in its history. Market research shaped many of the updates: the Cullinan was Rolls-Royce's first entry into the SUV segment, and executives have learned a lot since production started. One interesting detail relates to the driver. In 2018, when the Cullinan went on sale, less than 70% were self-driven. That's changed: in 2024, less than 10% are driven by a chauffeur. Up front, the Cullinan features more streamlined-looking headlights accented by thin daytime running lights that stretch into the bumper and bigger air intakes. The grille has been redesigned and it's illuminated for the first time, while the trim around the exhaust outlets has a new look. There's also a brushed stainless-steel plate in the middle of the rear bumper that runs under the car, and buyers can order 23-inch wheels for the first time. They're milled from a billet of aluminum and they feature a three-dimensional design that can be fully polished. The popular Black Badge trim returns, and it will be available at launch. It gets an assortment of blacked-out design details inside and out. Many of the changes made to the interior reflect how much technology has evolved since the Cullinan made its debut. Rolls-Royce added a glass panel that stretches across the entire dashboard. It includes the digital instrument cluster and the infotainment system's display (which is better integrated into the dashboard than the outgoing Cullinan's display). Most of this interface is shared with the Spectre. The part of the dashboard that's ahead of the front passenger is illuminated thanks to 7,000 dots laser-etched into a strengthened type of glass. While some motifs are pre-loaded into the system, customers can also create their own by working directly with Rolls-Royce's designers. Rolls-Royce looked to the outdoors to design new types of upholstery and trim materials.

Rolls-Royce Alpine Trial Centenary Collection celebrates century-old Austrian race

Among the harvest of premieres at the Shanghai Motor Show was a special-edition Rolls-Royce Ghost to celebrate the 1913 Austrian Alpine Trials. Four Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts entered the race a century ago, and in completing the 1,820-mile challenge flawlessly earned the sobriquet "The Best Car in the World." The new Ghosts commemorating the feat represent two firsts for the brand: Rolls-Royce has never created a bespoke homage to one of its own cars, and it has never released a car with a black grille.
Those two features, as well as blue paint and black wheels, are in tribute to James Radley's privateer entry in that 1913 race that drove alongside the three factory teams. Other special features include the coachline (pinstripe) that evokes the four cars from the 20th-century race, and inside, a color-matched headliner, a clock with the rally stages and times, and topographical inlays on the front fascia and rear picnic tables.
The 20-Ghost Club will be reenacting the event this year, the parade including Radley's 1913 car. It kicks off in Vienna, Austria on June 14. For the time being you can read the press release below and check out the high-res photos above.